The lists here are by no means comprehensive, but I hope they will give readers a starting point and some guidance as they journey through Cancerland. I'll keep adding resources as I learn about them.
Foundations
Lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, colon, kidney, liver, and melanoma cancers combined. Yet, it receives only a small share of research funding from the federal government. Please consider supporting lung cancer research by donating to one of these foundations.- American Lung Association
- G02Foundation for Lung Cancer
- Lung Cancer Foundation of America
- Lungevity
- Team Draft
Clinical Trials
Patient Support and Advocacy
Research
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- National Institutes of Health: National Cancer Institute
- Cure Today
- The ROS1ders
- Oncology Central
Genomic Testing
Cost of Cancer
I had to get some assistance with my prescription co-pay costs, and the speciality pharmacy distributing my particular small-molecule TKI put me in touch with someone on their "co-pay team" who, in turn, was able to determine that I was eligible for a grant from the drug manufacturer to cover the co-pay cost. We did all of that by phone.
Don't hesitate to ask for help. Cancer treatment is financially devastating. Most regular, working people cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of cancer treatment (stuff not covered by insurance), and many struggle to pay for insurance, have high co-pays and deductibles, or even go uninsured. Insurance NEVER covers all the costs of treatment. Plus there are the added financial strains when we have to take time off from work, or when caregivers also lose time from work to help us. Many patients have to travel to urban centers in order to get treatment, and some of us need to travel across the country to access life-saving treatments that may be in clinical trials.. Cancer, especially metastatic disease, is EXPENSIVE to treat, even with help from insurance.
Don't hesitate to ask for help. Cancer treatment is financially devastating. Most regular, working people cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of cancer treatment (stuff not covered by insurance), and many struggle to pay for insurance, have high co-pays and deductibles, or even go uninsured. Insurance NEVER covers all the costs of treatment. Plus there are the added financial strains when we have to take time off from work, or when caregivers also lose time from work to help us. Many patients have to travel to urban centers in order to get treatment, and some of us need to travel across the country to access life-saving treatments that may be in clinical trials.. Cancer, especially metastatic disease, is EXPENSIVE to treat, even with help from insurance.
Below is a short list of financial resources I hope will be helpful. It's not a complete list, so if you know of something I ought to include here, please leave a comment. When you aren't feeling well, it can be overwhelming to have to do this kind of research, so if you can, get a friend or loved-one to help you navigate the financial maze of cancer treatment.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment! It should appear here within 24 hours.